Tabulator mechanism



Jan. 5, 1937. J KOCA 7 2,066,979

TABULATOR MECHANISM Filed March 2, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet l izczei? 7Z7". FIVES' E K0679 Jan. 5, 1937. v

J. F. KO CA TABULATOR MECHANISM Filed March 2, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. '5, J F KOCA TABULATOR MECHANISM Filed March 2, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Jan. 5, 1937 TABULATOR MECHANISM James F. Koca, Woodstock, 11]., assignor to Woodstock Typewriter Company. Woodstock, 11]., a corporation of Illinois Application March 2, 1933, Serial No. 659,334

3 Claims.

This invention relates to typewriters and particularly to tabulator mechanism. More specifically the invention relates to tabulator mechanism for electrically operated typewriters.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide new and improved tabulator mechanism for electrically positioning the tabulator to electrically shift the platen to tabulated position by the depression of a single key lever.

Another object of the invention is to provide electrically controlled and operated tabulator mechanism for moving or shifting the platen to tabulated position upon the depression of a single 'tabulator key, as well as electrically controlled mechanism cooperating with the tabulator key.

A further object is to provide simple, efficient,

and positive electrically operating mechanism for moving the carriage to tabulated position.

A still further object is to provide a new and novel arrangement of parts including a continuously rotating shaft cooperating with certain correlated parts and controlled by shift key mechanism to control the movement of the carriage to and from tabulated position and to lock the carriage and prevent rebound thereof at the end of the tabulating position.

Numerous other objects and advantages will be apparent throughout the progress of the following specification.

The accompanying drawings illustrate a selected embodiment of the invention and the views therein are as follows:

Fig. 1 is a detail transverse sectional view through a typewriter and embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a detail rear elevation, certain parts being broken away for the sake of clearness.

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view of the tabulator stop mechanism and embodying the invention, the partsbeing shown in normal operating or initial position.

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view similar to Fig. 3 showing the parts in operating position and en gaging a tabulator stop.

Fig, 5 is a detail perspective view of some of the tabulator operating mechanism showing the same in inoperative initial position.

The typewriter to which the present invention refers has a frame In which supports the front and rear carriage rails I and I2 respectively, Fig. 1, which support the carriage |3. The particular typewriter herein shown is a Woodstock typewriter, and in general, the parts including the frame, type bars, platen and others are standard with Woodstock machines, and various parts of the typewriter will not be described except in connection with such parts as may be required for the electrical operation of the tabulator mechanism. A motor, not shown, drives a pulley M which is fixed to a transverse shaft l5. The shaft |5 also carries a pulley l6 about which a belt passes to drive a type bar actuating shaft H. A tabulator key lever |8 having a key I9 is pivotally connected at 20 to a rear transverse support 2|, a spring 22 being arranged in the position shown in Fig. 1 to normally hold the key lever I8 in its normal initial upward position.

A bracket 23 is fixed to part of the frame III as indicated at 24 and supports a revolubly mounted shaft 25. A link 26 is pivotally connected to the key lever It as indicated at 21 and makes pivotal connection at 28 with an arm 29 which is fixed to the shaft 25. A second arm 30 is fixed to the shaft 25 and is pivotally connected to an adjustable link 3| as indicated at 32. The link 3| is pivotally connected at 33 to a latch 34. The latch 34 is pivoted at 35 to a bracket 36 and carries a pawl 31 which is adapted for locking relati0nship with a second pawl 38. The pawl 38 is pivoted at 39 to a cam 40 which is revolubly mounted on the transverse shaft l5. A ratchet 4| having teeth 42 is arranged in juxtaposition relative to the cam 40 and rotates with the shaft l5. The tail-piece 43 of the pawl 38 is provided witha latching end 44 which is adapted to have locking engagement with a tooth 42 on the ratchet 4| when the pawl 31 becomes disengaged from the pawl 38. A spring 45 is connected to the tailpiece 43 and urges the pawl 38 in a predetermined position normally into locking engagement with the pawl 31. A pin 46 is fixed to the cam 40 and limits the movement of the pawl 38. When the key I9 is depressed, the key lever |B will move downwardly and through the link 26 and arm 29 will rock the shaft 25 and swing the arm 30 to the left, Fig. 1, pulling the link 3| to the left. When the link 3| moves to the left, the latch 34 will be swung on its pivot 35 and disengage the pawl 31 from the pawl 38. Upon disengagement of these two pawls, the spring 45 will pull the latching end 44 of the pawl 38 into engagement with a tooth 42 on the ratchet 4 I, thereby locking the cam to the shaft l5 and causing the cam to rotate with the shaft. Alever 41 carrying a cam follower or roller 48 is pivoted at 49 to the bracket 36 and operates the lever 5|] which has a hole and pin connection 5| with the outer end of the lever 41.

During rotation of the cam, the pawl 38 will engage the projection 52 on the latch 34, the projection 82 being moved to shifted position upon swinging movement of the latch due to the movement of the link 8| when the key lever is depressed. Thus, when the roller 48 reaches the rise 58 of the cam 48, the lever 41 will pull down on the lever 58 and lower the adjustable link 54 which is pivoted to the lever 58 as indicated at 55. The lever 58 is pivoted at 58 to a bracket 51 fixed to the frame l8. A spring 58 is arranged underneath the lever 58 and normally urges this lever in an upward position. The adjustable link 54 is pivoted at 58 to an actuating lever 88 which is pivotally mounted to a part of the frame l8 as indicated at 6!. The inner end 62 of the actuating lever 68 has a pin and slot connection 88 with a second actuating lever 84 which is pivoted at 85 to the frame l8. A tabulator stop lever 88 is also pivoted to the frame at 85 and has a bent-over flange 81 which is engaged by a compression spring 88. The compression spring also engages a tail-piece 88 on the second actuating lever 84. The tabulator stop lever 88 has an extending arm 18 which carries a bentover ear ll which forms an abutment for a tabulator stop 12 on the tabulator bar 18. Thus, when the key I9 is depressed to move the link 8| and cause rotation of the cam 48, the arm 48 will operate the link 54 and raise the actuator lever 68. The actuator lever 88 has a shoe 14 fixed thereto which is then brought into engagement with the underside 15 of the pivotally-mounted escapement rack I8. When the escapement rack 16 is raised by the shoe 14, the escapement rack will be raised out of engagement with a pinion ll which is revolubly mounted on a stud l8 fixed to a part of the frame l8. The pinion H is associated with the usual conventional escapement wheel, not shown, but which has operative engagement with the escapement rack in the usual conventional manner. Therefore, the carriage I8 is free to move to the left, under tension of the usual drum spring device commonly used in typewriters, until the ear ll comes into engagement with a tabulator stop 12 as shown in Fig. 4. The impact of the ear H with the tabulator stop 12 would naturally cause considerable rebound. Therefore, rebound mechanism I8 -is provided to engage the tabulator stop 12 at the moment of impact to prevent rebound of the carriage.

The rebound mechanism 18 comprises a pawl 88 pivoted at 8| to a support 82 formed integral with the arm 18. A spring 88 engages an ear 84 on the pawl 88 and normally tends to swing the pawl 88 in an upward direction on its pivot 8|. The pawl 88 has a tail-piece 88 which rests on a bracket 88 formed integral with the actuator lever 88. Therefore, the spring 88 continuously holds the tail-piece 85 against the top of the bracket 88 and prevents free swinging movement of the pawl in the other direction. Therefore, when the carriage moves to the left, which will be toward the right in Fig. 4, the upper edge 81 of the pawl 88 will be depressed by the lower end of the tabulator stop 12 until the tabulator stop is engaged by the ear II at which time the tabulator stop will have cleared the pawl 8| and the spring will immediately return the pawl 8| into contacting relationship with the end of the tabulator stop 12 and prevent rebound of the carriage, the tabulator stop being, therefore, received in the space 88, Fig. 4, between the ear H and the pawl 88. The carriage is, therefore, returned to the position set by the tabulator stop '12.

As soon as the tabulator key lever I8 is released, the spring 22 and an additional spring 88, fastened to the link 8|, will return the tabulator key lever i 8 to its normal upward position. The return of the tabulator key lever l8 will return the adjustable link 8| to its normal position, the link 8| moving to the right during the return to normal position. As the link 8| returns to normal position, the latch 84 will be swung on its pivot and cause the projection 52 to become disengaged from the pawl 88 at which time the spring 45 will again pull the latching end 44 of the pawl 88 into engagement with a tooth 42 on the ratchet 4|. The cam will then again rotate with the shaft I5 until the pawl 88 becomes engaged with the pawl 81 as shown in Fig. 1. Immediately upon engagement of these two pawls, the latching end 44 of the pawl 88 will be released from the ratchet and the cam will cease rotating. The parts will have then returned to normal initial rest position, and the pinion 18 will again be in meshing relationship with the escapement rack 16. A detent 88 is provided with a recess 8| into which pins 82 engage to assist in maintaining the cam in either operating or rest position.

Operation When the key I8 is depressed, the tabulator key lever i8 will move downwardly and through the link 28 and the arm 29, shaft 25 and arm 88 will move the link 8| to the left, Fig. 1, causing the latch 84 to swing on its pivot 85 and disengage the pawl 81 from the pawl 88 and move the projection 52 into the path of the pawl 88. Disengagement of the pawl 81 from the pawl 88 will cause the cam 48 to rotate with the shaft l5 and operate the lever 41. The lever 41 will operate the link 54 and raise the shoe 14 to lifting position relative to the escapement rack 18 to disengage the teeth I5 on'the escapement rack from the pinion 18. As soon as the pinion 18 is disengaged from the teeth 15, the conventional carriage operating mechanism will move the carriage to the right, Fig. 4, until the ear ll comes into engagement with a tabulator stop 12. Immediately upon engagement of the ear II with the tabulator stop 12, the pawl 88 will return to upward position and engage the opposite side of the tabulator stop 12 to arrest the carriage and prevent rebound, the ear H being raised sufficiently to permit engagement with the stop 12 by the actuating levers 88 and 88. As soon as the depression of the key l8 has ceased, the parts will return to normal initial position at which time the actuating levers 88 and 88 will drop and release the tabulator stop 12 from the ear H and the pawl 88, the parts being so constmt d, positioned and timed that the teeth on the escapement rack 18 will be engaged with the teeth on the pinion 18 before the tabulator stop 12 is completely released from the ear TI and the pawl 88.

The usual hand controlled lever 88 is operatively connected to the usual escapement rack 18 for the purpose of moving the carriage in the usual conventional manner.

The invention provides tabulator mechanism which is operated by a rotating auxiliary shaft and controlled by the depression of a single tabulator key. The parts are compactly positioned and arranged and are so timed as to perform the function at the proper time and sequence. The tabulator mechanism moves or shifts the platen to tabulated position upon the depression of a single tabulator key.

Changes may be made in the form, construction, and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages, and the right is hereby reserved to make all such changes as fairly fall within the scope of the following claims.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. In a typewriter having a carriage, a power operated tabulator release system for the carriage comprising a key, a tabulator lever operated thereby, a bell crank, a bar connecting an intermediate point of the tabulator lever to one end of the bell crank, a longitudinally adjustable motivating bar connected at one of its ends to the other end of the bell crank, a second bell crank connected at one end to the motivating bar and having a projection located along its length between the point of pivot and the point of con- }nection to the motivating bar, said second bell crank having a catch-like termination at its other end, a centrally pivoted pawl having a catch at one end adapted to engage the catch on the second bell crank, a driven shaft, a cam freely mounted on said driven shaft, said cam having substantially 90 degrees of its surface conforming to a circle, the center of which coincides with the center of the driven shaft upon which the cam is mounted, a ratchet wheel rigidly mounted on the driven shaft so as to rotatetherewith, said pawl being fixed to the cam and being spring-urged, a roller carrying means adapted to ride on the surface of said cam, and unitary means operated by said roller carrying means,

said unitary means being adapted to disengage the carriage from the usual escapement mechanism and, at the same time, interpose a stop into the path of movement of said carriage so as to limit its movement.

a length of the bar, means connecting one end of thebar to said tabulator key whereby depression of said key serves to move the bar longitudinally,

and be controlled by the projections on said first mentioned pawl, a'lever having a roller at one end thereof adapted to ride upon the surface of said cam, and tabulator mechanism for the carriage operated by said lever.

3. A typewriter comprising a tabulator key, a power operated ratchet wheel, a cam, a pawl connected to the cam, means operated by said tabulator key upon depression thereof for causing the pawl to engage the ratchet whereby to impart movement to the cam, said means comprising a bell crank pawl member having a pawl projection on one arm thereof adapted to engage with said first mentioned pawl, and an adjustable linkage connecting the tabulator key and said bell crank pawl member, means also rendered operative upon depression of said key to cause disengagement of said first mentioned pawl from said ratchet after a partialrevolution of the cam and to stop said cam, said means comprising a pawl projection on the second arm of said bell crank pawl member, tabulator mechanism comprising a spring-urged carriage, a series of abutments adapted to be adjustably positioned on the carriage, an engageable rack and escapement wheel,

and a stop member adapted to selectively engage said abutments, means operated by the cam upon said partial revolution thereof to disengage the rack and escapement wheel and to position said stop for engagement by said abutments, said bell crank pawl member being operable by the tabulator key upon release thereof to complete the revolutionof said cam, and means operated by the cam upon said completed revolution to reengage the rack and escapement wheel and return the stop to normal position.

JAMES F. KOCA. 

